Rail-joint.



G. A. LONG.

RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED D110. 24, 1914- Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

ATTO R N EY GEORGE A. LONG, OFSCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed December 24, 1914. Serial No. 878,897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. LONG, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in rail joints.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of rail joints and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and ethcient rail oint of strong and durable construction, equipped with rail bracing and clamping members capable of being firmly wedged against the rails and adapted when released to be readily removed from eithe end of the chair of the rail joint.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint of this character having wedgesarranged to be driven downwardly into the rail joint for forcing the rail clamping and bracing members against the rails and adapted to be easily withdrawn when it is desired to remove oradjust the said rails.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it'being understood that various changes in the form, proportion,

cordance with this invention.

transverse sectional view of the same; Fig.

size and minor details of construction, with-. 111 the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail joint constructed in ac- Fig. 2 5 is a 3 is a perspective" view of the rail chair.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one'of the.

rail bracing and clamping members. Fig.

5 is a similar view of one ofthe wedges.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented. Mar. 16, 1915.

plate being extended beyond the flanges 3 to provide attachingportions i which have openings for the reception of spikes or other suitable fastening devices for secur'ing'the chair tothe cross ties (not shown). The bottom plate 2, whichhasfiatupper and lower 7 faces, forms a seat 5 for the adjacent ends of'the rails 6, whichare arranged upon the intermediateconnecting portion of the bot:v

tom plate between the upwardlyIextending side flanges 3. The side flanges Spare pro-' vided with inner faces consisting of lower vertical portions 7 to fit againstthe side edges of the bottom flanges ofthe rails, curved shoulders 8, and straight upwardly and inwardly extending'inclined upper por.-'

tions 9. The curvedshoulders 8 extend upwardly and outwardly from the straight I lower vertical portions 7, and are arranged to receive and support rounded lower outer edges 10 of anglebracing and clamping members 11, consisting of outwardly extending bottom portions 12 and inner upwardly extending tapered portions 13. The

angle rail clamping and bracing members 11 fit against the upper faces of the bottom flanges of the rails and engage under the heads thereof, and the outer faces 14 of the "bottom portions 12 are inclined upwardly and inwardly to conform to the configuration of the upper portions 9 of the side flanges 3 of the chair. 7 tending upper portions of the flanges 3 and the inclined or beveled facesv 14 of the clamping and bracing members 11 form an The, inwardly exinterlocking connection, and the said memb'ers are of uniform cross-sectional areathroughout their entire length to enable them, when released-by the removal of the.

wedges 15, to be readily removed-from the chair at either end thereof. The upper faces v of the flanges 3and the upper faces of the the clamping and bracing-members 1 1 are preferably arranged in flush relation, as

bottom outwardly extending portions '12 of shown, and the flanges and the members are provided with registering recesses 16 and 17 forming openings to receive the wedges '15, which are adapted to be driven downwardly through the rail joint to force the bracing and clamping members into tight engagement with the rails.

One or more wedges may be employedv at'each' side of the rail joint, as desired, and as the wedges are vertically disposed, the bracing and clamping members may be easily forced'into engagement with the rails by simply driving the wedges downwardly. The Wedges, which have heads 18 at their upper ends, are preferably provided below the same with transverse perforations for the reception of pins 19 adapted to project beyond the inner and outer sides of the wedges to facilitate the removal of the same when it is desired to change or adjust the rails. lihe wedges, which have straight vertical edges, fit against the side edges of the recesses 16 and l? and thereby interlock the clamping and bracing members against longitudinal movement. id hen the rails are clamped by the members 11, they are securely held and c 'irmly braced and the rail joint, which is adapted to receive ordinary rails, does not require notching or otherwise altering the construction of the same.-

VVhat is claimed is l. A rail joint including a rail chair consisting of a bottom plate having a horizontal upper face to form a ail receiving seat, and spaced upwardly extending side flanges proi'i led with inner faces consisting of lower vertical portions to fit against the side edges of the bottom flanges of the rails, curved shoulders extending upwardly and outi'vardly from the said lower vertical portiens and upper inclined portions extending upwardly and inwardly from the said shoulders, angle rail bracing and clamping members arranged upon the bottom flanges and engaging under the heads of the rails and'having lower rounded outer edges, fitting the said shoulders of the side flanges of the chair said members being provided with upwardly and inwardly inclined outer faces conforming to the inclined upper portions of the inner faces of the said flanges to form an interlocking connection between the members and the chair, and approximately y rtical wedges errtending through the chair and interposed between the flanges of the same and the said members, whereby the said members are wedged tightly against the rails, said members being of uniform cross sectional area and adapted, when release-t. by the removal of the Wedges, to be from either end of the rail chair.

It rail joint inclu ing a rail chair co-- sisting of a bottom p ate having a hori tal upper to form a rail receiving s and spaced upwardly extending side fl n provided with inner faces consisting lower substantially vertical portions to ainst the side edges of the bottom flanges the rails, shoulders extending u 1 and outwardly horn the said lower ver portions, and upper inclined portions tending upwardly and inwardly from said shoulders, angle rail bracing clan'iping members arranged upon the tom flanges and 61 gaging under the i l the rails and l V l ai ing lower ed es I the said shoulders of the side fla: ges chair, said members being proconforming to the inclined upper portions of the inner faces of the said flanges form an interloclring connection lretwce; members and the chair said meinbers r flanges being provided with registe cesses forming vertical openings an tend through the bottom of the ra and substantially vertical wet aiming in the said recesses and adapted to be driven through the chair to wedge the meml tightly against the rails said Wed W l King the members against longitudnr loc movement and the members being of removed from either enl of the cl when released by the wedges.

In testimony that I claim the foregoir" as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

F. H. Jones, EUGENE F. Lone.

(Ionics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

